@wheelsaustralia 151
ST-L sedan $22,490 L4 1.8 96 174 M6 — — — 7.2 91 48 F
ST-L sedan $24,790 L4 1.8 96 174 C — — — 6.7 91 47 F
SSS hatch $25,990 L4T 1.6 140 240 M6 1304 — — 7.7 95 50 08/13 F
SSS hatch $28,490 L4T 1.6 140 240 C — — — 7.8 95 49 F
SSS sedan $26,990 L4T 1.6 140 240 M6 — — — 7.8 95 48 F
SSS sedan $29,290 L4T 1.6 140 240 C — — — 7.8 95 48 F
Altima Maximabegone
Impressively punchy and refined four-pot/CVT combo; well-equipped; roomy; cheap-ish
V6 is too much for Altima’s front-end to handle; terminal understeer; rental-car styling
- The Pick: ST-L has a sweet drivetrain, plenty of kit and better wheels than the dowdy ST
ST $29,990 L4 2.5 127 230 C 1435 — — 7.5 91 37 01/14 F
ST-L $35,990 L4 2.5 127 230 C 1451 — — 7.5 91 38 F
Ti $40,490 L4 2.5 127 230 C 1467 — — 7.5 91 39 F
Ti-S $45,490 V6 3.5 183 312 C 1536 — — 9.3 91 36 F
Leaf Drive-awayelectric
Purpose-built electric, with loads of torque; supremely smooth; classy, techy interior
Regenerative braking, steering and handling all a bit weird-burger and/or artificial- The Pick:Um,theLeaf–especiallyatitscurrent$39,990driveaway price
$39,990 E 80 280 A1 1525 11.9 — — 45 09/11 F
370Z Nissan’scut-priceCayman
Fastandsharp;big-heartedV6;sweetlybalanced;trickauto-blipmanualondownshifts
Engine still coarse; manual shift a tad clunky; ride quality on rough roads - The Pick: It’s no son-of-Godzilla, but a tyre fryin’ hoot on smooth hotmix
$56,930 V6 3.7 245 363 M6 1471 5.6 13.810.5 95 64 06/09 R
$59,930 V6 3.7 245 363 A7 1485 5.7 13.810.5 95 64 12/09 R
370Z Roadster ...andNissan’scut-priceBoxster
Same virtues as the coupe, but the V6 should sound sweeter top-down
137kg extra weight is like having a Biggest Loser contestant on board, all of the time - The Pick: Auto is slick and intuitive, but we’d still opt for the manual
$65,930 V6 3.7 245 363 M6 1608 — — 11.2 95 64 01/10 R
$68,930 V6 3.7 245 363 A7 1618 — — 11.2 95 64 R
GT-R Godzilla:thethirdseason
Cutting-edge tech delivers supercar pace and dynamics, mixed with user-friendliness
Very firm ride over rough urban tarmac; dual-clutch ’box is clunky at low speeds - The Pick: Base Premium gets all the grunt and all-paw ability
Premium $172,000 V6TT 3.8 404 628 S6 1740 3.2 11.2 11.7 98 53 12/13 A
Luxury $177,000 V6TT 3.8 404 628 S6 1740 — — 11.7 98 53 A
Black Edition $182,500 V6TT 3.8 404 628 S6 1740 — — 11.7 98 53 A
Juke Stillahead-turner
Bringsindividualitytosmallcrossovers;punchy140kWturbo;chirpynewSTmanual
Busy urban ride; noisy CVT; heavy Ti-S AWD; styling a compilation, but no best-of - The Pick: Ti-S with torque-vectoring AWD is a wannabe Godzilla, but go the 1.2 turbo ST
ST $23,490 L4T 1.2 85 190 M5 1163 — — 5.6 95 52 06/13 F
ST $24,490 L4 1.6 86 158 C 1205 — — 6.3 95 52 F
Ti-S $29,790 L4T 1.6 140 240 M6 1300 — — 6.0 95 50 F
Ti-S $33,490 L4T 1.6 140 240 C 1431 — — 6.5 95 52 A
Qashqai Dualistakesabackseatwithnewmodel
Clever packaging combined with a sharp price; handles like a jumped-up hatchback
Performance not its forte, though both engines try hard; no rear-seat air vents - The Pick: Base petrol ST with CVT auto, even if it misses out on the clever boot partitions
ST $25,990 L4 2.0 106 200 M6 1372 9.9 — 7.7 91 50 F
ST $28,490 L4 2.0 106 200 C 1408 10.1 — 6.9 91 50 09/14 F
Ti $32,890 L4 2.0 106 200 M6 1421 9.9 — 7.7 91 54 F
Ti $34,490 L4 2.0 106 200 C 1457 10.1 — 6.9 91 54 F
TS $33,990 L4TD 1.6 96 320 C 1556 11.1 — 4.9 D 52 F
TL $39.990 L4TD 1.6 96 320 C 1605 11.1 — 4.9 D 52 09/14 F
X-Trail Latestmodelahugeimprovement
Less gawky looks; extra stretch adds third-row option; quiet, luxurious and roomy
Some trim still feels cheap; foot-operated park brake; ultimately lacking in finesse - The Pick: Sharp pricing on the front-drive ST auto looks the goods
ST $27,990 L4 2.0 106 200 M6 1437 — — 8.2 91 52 F
ST $30,490 L4 2.5 126 226 C 1470 — — 7.9 91 52 F
ST 7-seat $31,990 L4 2.5 126 226 C 1516 — — 8.1 91 50 F
ST 4WD $33,980 L4 2.5 126 226 C 1526 — — 8.3 91 52 A
ST-L $36,590 L4 2.5 126 226 C 1487 — — 7.9 91 52 F
ST-L 7-seat $38,090 L4 2.5 126 226 C 1533 — — 8.1 91 52 F
ST-L 4WD $39,490 L4 2.5 126 226 C 1543 10.3 17.4 8.3 91 50 08/14 A
Ti 4WD $45,190 L4 2.5 126 226 C 1574 — — 8.3 91 51 A
TS $35,380 L4TD 1.6 96 320 C — — — 5.3 D 44 F
TS 4WD $35,680 L4TD 1.6 96 320 M6 — — — 5.3 D 45 A
TL $46,280 L4TD 1.6 96 320 C — — — 5.3 D 47 F
TL 4WD $46,580 L4TD 1.6 96 320 M6 — — — 5.3 D 47 A
Pathfinder Lessbush,morecity
No longer a wagon version of a separate-chassis ute; big seven-seat interior; smooth V6
2WD version is front-drive; appalling steering; no diesel; designed for middle America - The Pick: Value-packed ST 4WD blends on-road grip with room for seven, plus luggage
ST 2WD $41,490 V6 3.5 190 325 C 1920 — — 9.9 91 58 R
ST 4WD $45,490 V6 3.5 190 325 C 1985 — — 10.2 91 54 A
ST Hybrid $44,490 L4HS 2.5 188 330 C 1969 — — 8.4 54 F
ST-L 2WD $51,490 V6 3.5 190 325 C 1960 — — 9.9 91 53 01/14 R
ST-L 4WD $55,490 V6 3.5 190 325 C 2025 — — 10.2 91 54 A
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ST-L Hybrid $58,490 L4HS 2.5 188 330 C 2073 8.0 16.0 8.5 54 09/15 A
Ti 2WD $62,190 V6 3.5 190 325 C 2000 — — 9.9 91 54 R
Ti 4WD $66,190 V6 3.5 190 325 C 2065 — — 10.2 91 54 A
Ti Hybrid $69,190 L4HS 2.5 188 330 C 2073 — — 8.5 55 A
Y61 Patrol Hectaresof4WDforthemoney
Huge,roomyandoh-so-tough,asyou’dexpectwithaPatrol;looksgreatcoveredindirt
Weight; dynamics; stuff-youse-all image when used in cities; almost as big as the QEII- The Pick: You’ll feel like King of the Rodeo in an ST 3.0 manual, but she’s very agricultural
DX 3.0 $53,890 L4TD 3.0 118 380 M5 2372 — — 10.9 D 50 A
ST 3.0 $57,390 L4TD 3.0 118 380 M5 2483 — — 10.9 D 51 A
ST Titanium $57,390 L4TD 3.0 118 380 M5 2483 — — 10.9 D 51 A
Y62 Patrol Mydear,howyou’veblossomed
Posh V8 Patrol has graduated from Uni and is living in the eastern suburbs
At 2.8 tonnes, it’s the heaviest ‘car’ on sale in Australia; V8 loves a binge drink - The Pick: Base Ti over the ancient Y61 (see above). But is this really necessary?
Ti $69,990 V8 5.6 298 560 A7 2800 — — 14.5 95 58 A
Ti-L $86,990 V8 5.6 298 560 A7 2829 — — 14.5 95 58 A
Peugeot
3yr/100,000km
peugeot.com.au208 Pretty,well-priced
Charming three-pot turbo; sharper value andextra gear; plush seats; GTi great to drive
Lacks a 308's polish and panache; polarising driving position; no turbo-triple manual- The Pick: Three-pot turbo makes plenty of sense below $20K in the Access auto
Access $15,990 L3 1.2 60 118 M5 975 13.9 — 4.5 95 42 F
Access $18,990 L3T 1.2 81 205 A6 1070 10.9 — 4.5 95 43 F
Active $21,990 L3T 1.2 81 205 A6 1070 10.9 — 4.5 95 45 F
Allure $25,990 L3T 1.2 81 205 A6 1070 10.9 — 4.5 95 42 F
GT-Line $27,490 L3T 1.2 81 205 A6 1070 11.0 17.6 4.5 95 43 03/16 F
GTi $30,990 L4T 1.6 153 300 M6 1160 6.8 — 5.4 95 47 F
2008 ReturntoFrenchform
Terrific three-pot; supple ride; adjustable handling; great packaging; commendably light
Auto is an ancient four-speed; diesel is grumbly and expensive; instrument location - The Pick: The lovable three-pot 1.2, or wait for the brilliant turbo version due shortly
1.2 Active $22,490 L3 1.2 60 118 M5 1022 13.5 — 4.9 95 50 12/13 F
1.6 Active $25,490 L4 1.6 88 160 A4 1113 11.2 — 6.5 95 53 F
1.6 Allure $30,990 L4 1.6 88 160 A4 1113 11.2 — 6.5 95 52 F
1.6 e-HDi Outdoor $32,990 L4TD 1.6 68 230 M5 1131 11.5 — 4.0 D 54 F
308 BestPugthiscentury
Smart styling; entry-level triple is a belter; terrific dynamics; well equipped for the money
Torsion-beam rear felt at times; ride on big wheels; ventilation controls in touchscreen - The Pick: The 1.2 turbo triple is a rip-snorter, even as an auto, and so is the diesel wagon
Access $21,990 L3T 1.2 96 230 M6 10909.3 16.5 4.6 95 47 04/15 F
Access $23,990 L3T 1.2 96 230 A6 1150 9.1 — 5.1 95 48 F
Active $28,340 L3T 1.2 96 230 A6 1150 9.1 — 5.1 95 50 12/14 F
Allure $32,790 L4T 1.6 110 240 A6 1255 8.5 — 6.5 95 50 F
Allure HDi $35,290 L4TD 2.0 110 370 A6 1310 8.6 — 4.1 D 51 F
Allure Premium $36,440 L4T 1.6 110 240 A6 1255 8.5 — 6.5 95 51 F
Allure Premium HDi $38,940 L4TD 2.0 110 370 A6 1310 8.6 — D 51 F
Allure Touring $35,490 L4T 1.6 110 240 A6 — — 6.5 95 51 05/15 F
Allure Touring HDi $37,990 L4TD 2.0 110 370 A6 1420 8.9 — 4.2 D 52 F
Allure Touring Prem $39,140 L4T 1.6 110 240 A6 — — 6.5 95 51 F
Allure T Prem HDi $41,640 L4TD 2.0 110 370 A6 — — D 51 F
GT $41,990 L4T 1.6 151 285 M6 1200 7.5 — 5.6 95 54 05/15 F
GT BlueHDi $42,990 L4TD 2.0 133 400 A6 1320 8.4 — 4.0 D 54 05/15 F
GTi 250 $44,990 L4T 1.6 184 330 M6 1205 6.2 — 6.0 95 55 F
GTi 270 $49,990 L4T 1.6 200 330 M6 1205 6.0 — 6.0 95 55 F
3008 Compact,yetversatileFrenchie
Quirky-looking compact SUV of sorts; stylish, flexible interior; solid drivetrains
No manuals; steering and ride far from class-leading; invisible image; not pretty - The Pick: Lightly updated and freshly specced, the 3008 is far from a stand-out Peugeot
Active Turbo $35,490 L4T 1.6 115 240 A6 1480 9.5 — 7.7 95 48 F
Active HDi $38,990 L4TD 2.0 120 340 A6 1539 10.2 — 6.6 D 48 F
508 Mid-sizefornon-conformists
Priceandequipment;roomy,qualityinterior;GT’spunchandcapabledynamics
Regular models lack the handling of the GT; all lack the serene ride of Peugeots past - The Pick: GT HDi is semi-sporting and a valid premium-Japanese alternative
Active $37,990 L4T 1.6 121 240 A6 1410 8.9 — 5.6 95 48 F
Allure HDi $45,990 L4TD 2.0 120 340 A6 1520 9.2 — 5.4 D 50 F
Allure HDi Touring $48,990 L4TD 2.0 120 340 A6 1540 9.5 — 5.5 D 50 F
GT HDi $59,990 L4TD 2.0 133 400 A6 1540 8.6 — 4.4 D 51 F
GT HDi Touring $62,990 L4TD 2.0 133 400 A6 1676 8.6 — 4.6 D 51 F
4008 MitsubishiASXputsonaberet
Improved styling and suspension damping over the Mitsubishi ASX on which it’s based
Steering and handling; refinement; plasticky Mitsu’ interior; not remotely French - The Pick: A better-looking ASX, but lacks the dynamics of a Qashqai or Subaru XV
Active FWD $27,990 L4 2.0 110 197 M5 — — — 7.7 95 54 F
Active AWD $30,990 L4 2.0 110 197 M5 1440 — — 7.9 95 54 08/12 A
Active AWD $33,490 L4 2.0 110 197 C 1470 10.9 — 8.1 95 51 A
Allure AWD $38,490 L4 2.0 110 197 C 1470 10.9 — 8.1 95 51 08/12 A
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